'He went above and beyond': Tributes to 'totally dedicated' former mayor of Dudley Bill Cody
Councillors have been paying tribute to a former mayor who died last week after a short illness.
William 'Bill' Cody, who was in his 70s when he died, served as Dudley's mayor from 1996 to 1997, having served as Labour councillor for Netherton and Woodside from 1986 to 1998.
He then went on to represent Wordsley ward between 2002 and 2004. The late councillor died last week following a short period of illness.
Councillor Andrea Goddard, current mayor of Dudley, said: "We are very saddened to hear of the death of former Mayor Bill Cody.
"He went above and beyond in serving this borough both as a ward councillor in Netherton and Woodside and later Wordsley, as well as mayor of Dudley."
Those who knew him say the former councillor was noted for being energetic, active and dedicated to improving the lives of those around him.
Councillor Pete Lowe, leader of the Labour Group on Dudley Council said: "The news of Councillor Bill Cody’s passing has come as a shock to us on the Labour benches as he was active in the party until fairly recently.
"Bill was an excellent ward councillor, totally dedicated to improving the lives of his constituents.
"I have never encountered a mayor more energetic and enthusiastic than Bill and he was a credit to the council and the borough as its ambassador and first citizen, our thoughts go out to his family at this difficult time."
The councillor started his working life as an ambulance worker in 1976, quickly becoming a leading figure in the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS), up until his retirement in 2013.
Paying tribute on X (formerly Twitter), Councillor Adam Aston, a paramedic, said: "Bill offered me words of advice and encouragement as a teenager when I was considering a career in the ambulance service and always asked 'How’s it going?' every time I saw him, even after almost 20 years with WMAS."
